Safety closure assembly

ABSTRACT

A safety closure assembly of a container includes a cap having a radially shiftable liner with internal interrupted threads which are adapted to cooperate with a container neck having external specially arranged guide surfaces. Only informed and deliberate manipulation of the cap permits its removal from the container neck. Inter-engagement of the liner with its accommodating cap causes the liner to shift radially inwardly to increase resistance of projecting surfaces of the liner against a stop on the container neck should an attempt be made to remove the cap in an improper manner. The liner is also permitted to shift radially outwardly within the cap in order that optimum interengagement may be obtained between the liner threads and those present on the container neck in order that a relatively wide range of tolerances may be accommodated on the exterior of the neck finish.

United States Patent 1 Micallei SAFETY CLOSURE ASSEMBLY [75] Inventor:Lewis A. Micallef, New York, NY.

[73] Assignee: Leeds and Micallef, New York,

[22] Filed: May 30, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 257,872

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.95,300, Dec. 4,

i970, Pat. NO. 3,675,804.

[52) 11.8. CI. 215/9 [Sl] Int. Cl. A6lj 1/00, 865d 55/02 [58] Field ofSearch 215/9, 44

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,682,343 8/1972 Landen215/9 3,675,804

7/1972 Micallef 215/9 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Attorney-David S.Kane et al.

[4 1 Nov. 13, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT A safety closure assembly of acontainer includes a cap having a radially shiftable liner with internalinterrupted threads which are adapted to cooperate with a container neckhaving external specially arranged guide surfaces. Only informed anddeliberate manipulation of the cap permits its removal from thecontainer neck. Inter-engagement of the liner with its accommodating capcauses the liner to shift radially inwardly to increase resistance ofprojecting surfaces of the liner against a stop on the container neckshould an attempt be made to remove the cap in an improper manner. Theliner is also permitted to shift radially outwardly within the cap inorder that optimum interengagement may be obtained between the linervthreads and those present on the container neck in order that arelatively wide range of tolerances may be accommodated on the exteriorof the neck finish.

11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENIEURUV 13 I915 3.771.685

sum 2 [F 3 PATENTED BUY 1 3 I913 SHEET 3 [F 3 1 SAFETY CLOSURE ASSEMBLYREFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 95,300 filed Dec. 4, 1970,now U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,804.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved capconstruction for use as part of the safety closure assembly disclosed inthe above referenced patent application.

The present invention has as one of its principal objects an improvedsafety cap that is adapted to ac'comodate a relatively wide range oftolerances of container BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a safety closure assembly ofthis invention showing the improved safety cap with liner spaced fromthe neck of the container, the latter shown fragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the capassociated with the container neck;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 withthe camming action being portrayed by dotted lines incident touninformed turning of the cap and jamming of the interengaged surfaces;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of alternative embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cap in this embodimentshown associated with a container neck;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a different form of safety capand liner therefor shown spaced from a container neck;

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section of this cap shown associated with thecontainer neck and FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along the line9-9 of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION that the exterior of the neck 24 is provided withcoop-' crating surfaces for receiving interrupted threads or lugs of thecap. 22 and securing the cap 22 to the neck 24 and permit its removalonly after a child-deterrent position is encountered. For this purposeaninterference zone 28 through which the lead lug or threadv of the cap22 is adapted to pass may be provided. The interference zone is betweenthe projecting surfaces of the neck finish; and adult strength isrequired to overcome the interference fit between the lead thread andthe surfaces.

The improved safety cap 22 accommodates a relatively wide range oftolerances of the neck finish 24. In this connection, it will beappreciated by those skilled. in the art that it is relatively difficultto maintain such tolerances when utilizing glass for a neck finish. Theimproved cap 22 alleviates this problem and also permits a relaxation ofsuch tolerances. Towards this end, the cap 22 includes an outer shell 30and an inner lining 32. The liner may be formed of a metallic materialwhile the outer shell 30 may be of any suitable material includingmetal. The outer shell 30 includes an upper substantially circular disc34 from which depends an integral skirt 36. The base of the .skirt 36includes an inwardly depending circumferentially extending flange 38which cooperates in maintaining the liner 32 within the interior of theouter shell 30. Where needed or desired, a sealing liner 40 may becoupled to the interior face of the upper disc 34. A pair ofdiametrically opposed inwardly projecting ramps 42 and 44 having cammingsurfaces 42a and 44b respectively are present on the inner face of skirt36. Surfaces 42 b and 4411 are radial serving as driving surfaces.

The liner 32 of' the embodiment of FIG. 1 to 3 is in the form of a splitband. The body of band 32 includes a recessed portion 46 correspondingin shape and size to the projection 42 on the inside of the shell apron36.

This recess 46 is diametrically opposed from the split in the band andincludes the cam face 46a and driving face 46b. At the split the bandincludes a recess 48 defined by the driving surface 48a and cammingsurface 48b. The recesses 46 and 48 advantageously receive theprojections 42 and 44 of the shell skirt 36. The band is also formedwith a series of interrupted threads or lugs 50a,b,c, and d, projectinginwardly for eventual engagement with camming and guide surfaces of theneck 24.

The sizeand dimensioning of the liner 32 in relation to theouter shell30 is such that the threads or lugs 50 may shift radially to accommodatethe contemplated wide range of tolerances of the neck finish. However,in use, when the lead thread 50a encounters the interference zone 28 andthere is experienced an obstacle as would be contemplated when anuninformed child attempts to remove the cap, further turning of the capunder these circumstances will cause the camming surfaces presented byramps 42 and 44 and recesses 46 and 48 to shift the liner 32 inwardly tofurther increase the binding or jamming action. This inward movement ofthe liner 32 is shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. Should .the twisting ofthe cap be informed and deliberate so that proper traversing of thiszone is accomplished, the jamming will not occur.

Thus, an informed user removes the cap 22 by maintaining an upward pullin accordance with one of the disclosed embodiments of the abovereferenced patent application until-the lead lug 50a snaps past theinterference zone 28. In the absence of an upward pull, the lead lug 50awill ride up the bead at the interference zone 28 and the inclinedsurfaces of the ramp 42 and 44 will contact the adjacent surfaces of theband 32 causing it to contract. Under these circumstances, the

cap will jam and must be retightened in order to free it from thisjammed condition.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 4 to 6 in which an alternative embodimentof the cap is illustrated. In this embodiment corresponding parts willbe similarly numbered with an accompanying prime. Thus the cap 22'includes an outer shell 30' and an inner liner 32 in the form of a splitband. In this embodiment the apron 36 of the shell 30' is provided withspaced recesses 42 and 44'. The band 32 is formed with opposed ramps 46and 48' which are received in the respective recesses 42' and 44'. Theoperation of cap 22 is in all essential respects the same as that of cap22. I-Iowever, in this embodiment, the interrupted threads or lugs 50can be more shallowly drawn. The inward shifting of the liner 32' andits contraction about the neck finish 24 when the lead thread 50a isjammed in the interference zone 28, is shown in FIG. 6.

In FIGS. 7 to 9 another form of safety cap 22" is shown as having anouter shell 30" and liner 32". Like parts will be similarly numberedwith accompanying double primes. The cap 22" is especially conducive tobeing fabricated entirely of metal. The liner 32" includes a series oflongitudinally extending slots 54 which impart a springing action to thethreads or lugs 50". In this manner, the threads are permitted to moveslightly in a radial direction thus adapting to the wide tolerance rangepresent in glass bottle neck finishes. It will be noted that the flange38" is crimped about the lower edge of the spring plate 32" to securethe liner interiorly of the outer shell 30".

Thus the several aforenoted objects and advantages are most effectivelyattained. Although several somewhat preferred embodiments of theinvention have been disclosed and described in detail herein, it shouldbe understood that this invention is in no sense limited thereby and itsscope is to be determined by that of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A safety cap comprising an outer shell having a top disc and tubularapron extending laterally therefrom, a liner having spaced lugs thereonin said shell, said liner being radially shiftable to accommodate a widerange of tolerances of container neck finishes and means for permittingthe liner to shift radially.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shell and linerinclude interengaging surfaces for maintaining the liner in the shell.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shell and linerare metal.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein the disc and apronof the shell are integral and the lower edge of the apron is crimpedinwardly above the adjacent lower edge of the liner.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liner is metal.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liner is a splitband and the band and apron of the shell cooperating in defining raisedand recessed intergaging camming surfaces whereby any jamming of thelugs on surfaces of the container neck causes the camming surfaces tointerengage and contract the band in a radially inward direction totighten the band about the container neck to thereby increase saidjamming.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein interengagingcamming surfaces are provided by a pair of radially inwardly projectingspaced ramps on the apron of the shelf and by a corresponding pair ofspaced recesses on the band that receive the ramps.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein the interengagingcamming surfaces are provided by a pair of radially outwardly projectingramps on said band and by a corresponding pair of spaced recesses in theapron of said shell that receive the ramps.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liner is atubular spring plate having a number of longitudinally extending slotsintermediate the ends of the plate to permit the lugs to shiftoutwardly.

10. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the cap is on thecontainer neck to provide a safety closure assembly, the exterior of theneck having guiding surfaces for cooperating in guiding the relativepath of travel of the lugs, said guiding surfaces including aninterference zone through which one of the lugs must pass and suchpassage is only permitted upon informed deliberate manipulation of thecap relative to the neck otherwise said jamming occurs.

11. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shell and linerhave interengaging driving surfaces for facilitating the twisting-on ofsaid cap on the neck finish.

1. A safety cap comprising an outer shell having a top disc and tubularapron extending laterally therefrom, a liner having spaced lugs thereonin said shell, said liner being radially shiftable to accommodate a widerange of tolerances of container neck finishes and means for permittingthe liner to shift radially.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1wherein the shell and liner include interengaging surfaces formaintaining the liner in the shell.
 3. The invention in accordance withclaim 1 wherein the shell and liner are metal.
 4. The invention inaccordance with claim 3 wherein the disc and apron of the shell areintegral and the lower edge of the apron is crimped inwardly above theadjacent lower edge of the liner.
 5. The invention in accordance withclaim 1 wherein the liner is metal.
 6. The invention in accordance withclaim 1 wherein the liner is a split band and the band and apron of theshell cooperating in defining raised and recessed intergaging cammingsurfaces whereby any jamming of the lugs on surfaces of the containerneck causes the camming surfaces to interengage and contract the band ina radially inward direction to tighten the band about the container neckto thereby increase said jamming.
 7. The invention in accordance withclaim 6 wherein interengaging camming surfaces are provided by a pair ofradially inwardly projecting spaced ramps on the apron of the shelf andby a corresponding pair of spaced recesses on the band that receive theramps.
 8. The invention in accordance with claim 6 wherein theinterengaging camming surfaces are provided by a pair of radiallyoutwardly projecting ramps on said band and by a corresponding pair ofspaced recesses in the apron of said shell that receive the ramps. 9.The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the liner is a tubularspring plate having a number of longitudinally extending slotsintermediate the ends of the plate to permit the lugs to shiftoutwardly.
 10. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the capis on the conTainer neck to provide a safety closure assembly, theexterior of the neck having guiding surfaces for cooperating in guidingthe relative path of travel of the lugs, said guiding surfaces includingan interference zone through which one of the lugs must pass and suchpassage is only permitted upon informed deliberate manipulation of thecap relative to the neck otherwise said jamming occurs.
 11. Theinvention in accordance with claim 1 wherein the shell and liner haveinterengaging driving surfaces for facilitating the twisting-on of saidcap on the neck finish.